Seems like "Old Times" at The Chapel

Enjoying the works of Harold Pinter can be like acquiring the taste for bourbon. For some, the first drink will be their last. They will find bourbon distasteful with an uncomfortable burn. Others will learn to appreciate the nuances of the flavor and the way it feels on the tongue. Tasting will become a passion and the drinker will sit back and just let the notes unfold. A Pinter play is much like that, the theatregoer needs to sit back, let the text unfold, and see where it takes you.

The Midnight Company is currently serving up a taste of Pinter’s “Old Times” at The Chapel. In “Old Times”, married couple Deely and Kate are awaiting the arrival of Kate’s friend Anna for a visit at their English coastal farmhouse. Kate exhibits a bit of awkward nervousness about Anna’s visit, and Deeley’s interrogation about their relationships adds to Kate’s anxiety. Once she arrives, Anna and Deeley have frank conversation about Kate thereby increasing her discomfort. Kate does not speak often, and when she does, it is only to say, “You speak of me as if I were dead.”

Sarah Lynne Holt directs Midnight Company’s “Old Times” and elicits authentic portrayals from Colleen Backer (Kate), Joe Hanrahan (Deeley) and Kelly Howe (Anna). The three actors deliver Pinter’s dialogue with chatty colloquialism, take it to the brink of discomfort, and then wallow in uncomfortable silence.

For the entirety of the first act, Kate mostly observes and listens while Deeley and Anna discuss their relationships with her. Backer is taxed with the chore of acting without dialogue and she is magnificent. Her glances, expressions, and closed off posture with turned-in feet convey a reticence about her former relationship with Anna.

Howe’s Anna is a bit of a whirling dervish, filled with vivacious energy. Seems she is still the sociable reveler that she was when she and Kate shared an apartment. Anna’s almost badgering in her efforts to reconnect with Kate and reminisce about their time together. She approaches her conversations with Deeley with much greater caution. Howe is equally terrific with her characterization and her ability to milk what are described as the ‘Pinter pauses.’

Harahan’s Deeley is both inquisitive and a bit lecherous injecting Pinter’s dated perversions and ideas of masculinity. Hanrahan’s line delivery is well paced and matches the genuineness of Backer and Howe’s conversations. The naturalism of the trio’s portrayals is more akin to eavesdropping than watching actors performing.

Holt's direction is sharp. Backer, Hanrahan and Howe’s snappy line delivery, awkward silence, and discernible discomfort make for fantastic performances. But Pinter’s script is just too murky for my taste. Kate and Anna’s relationship is hazy. What happened between them remains vague. Deeley’s acquaintance with Anna is ambiguous. Everything is veiled and nothing is revealed. All are the literary conventions that are the hallmarks of Pinter’s writing, but for me, the nebulous conclusion was not satisfying. If “Old Times” were my first sip of bourbon, it would likely be my last.

The Midnight Company’s production of Harold Pinter’s “Old Times” continues at The Chapel through July 27, 2024. More information can be found at the Midnight Company Web site.